“These women aren’t just dealing with an injury. They’re living in a low-estrogen environment that changes everything about healing.”

Musculoskeletal pain in midlife is often misdiagnosed. A woman presents with widespread joint pain, poor sleep, and fatigue, and she’s given a stack of prescriptions that never get to the root cause. But in perimenopause and menopause, declining estrogen and progesterone fundamentally change how muscles, tendons, and bones repair and recover, and without that context, practitioners can unintentionally overlook one of the most important drivers of their clients’ pain.

For us as women’s health practitioners, this is a call to rethink the way we approach musculoskeletal pain in women over 40. Recognizing the hormonal-musculoskeletal connection allows us to shift from chasing symptoms to addressing root causes with confidence.

In today’s episode, I’m sharing a case study of a 51-year-old client navigating widespread musculoskeletal pain, poor sleep, osteopenia, and perimenopause. Using our updated MAPS framework and seven-step system from the Perimenopause and Menopause Certificate Program, I break down how to integrate hormone health, nervous system regulation, nutrition, mitochondrial support, and strength training into a comprehensive care plan.

I’m sharing why estrogen and progesterone matter for joint and bone health, how to avoid the downward spiral of polypharmacy, practical strategies to help clients recover at a sustainable pace, and how to use integrative tools to help your clients thrive.

Enjoy the episode, and let's innovate and integrate together!

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Learn more or watch the video version of this conversation at https://integrativewomenshealthinstitute.com/new-approach-to-musculoskeletal-pain-in-menopause-with-dr-jessica-drummond/.

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